Adrian Chis

Hello everyone, I found a 2014 Cayman S that I am interested in purchasing and I went for a test drive couple of days ago with the intention of buying it that day. My first reaction when I saw the car was extremely pleasant, the size of the car, interior/exterior color and the wheels design made it very special. Then I took it for a short test drive and the PSM light came on along with deactivation of the start/stop button. As soon as I turned off and on the ignition, the light did not appeared again.I show it to the seller/dealer and he said he is going to fix this problem right away. At that point I decided to take my time and drive back home without leaving a downpayment on the car. The dealer was nice and professional, he called me back to tell me the mechanic run a full diagnostic on the car and everything came back ok, no codes stored and he sent me photos of the results. Then after doing some reading into this psm failure on this and other forums I came to the conclusion that there is a good chance it could be either a brake switch, pedal bushing or coils. I spoke to the dealer about it and the next day he let me know that the PSM light came back on and this time he was able to read a code related with a coil, so he did replaced all coils+spark plugs and he drove the car for a while and everything runs as it should, no more psm light. As much as I love the car in and out is there a way I can see if those coils and plugs has been replaced or should I asked him for a copy of the receipt for the coils/plugs purchase? Also, another small concern I have is that even though I am planning to keep the car for a very long time carfax it shows 6 previous owners and a front damage impact. The price he's asking (slightly negotiable) is fair according to kkb.com but I was wondering considering the unusual history of the car how much should that weight in the asking price reduction? I am suppose to clear my schedule and take another drive next week for a potential purchase but I would like to listen to your inputs first Again, I love the car in and out , the dealer has a stelar reputation and also has offered me a 30 days engine/transmission warranty with the purchase. I would like to know what will be a fair price for this particular cayman in your opinion, I am not trying to get a bargain deal, just want to pay a fair market price for a car I like. Thank you for your time https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...2172/overview/

forestial

It sounds like the dealer is being honest enough about trying to resolve (not cover up) the issue, but also they are not Porsche specialists and there could be some guessing in their attempt to fix it, which is not great. The usual advice applies here: get an independent PPI done.

i am no pricing expert, and I think prices of these have been increasing quite sharply in recent weeks, but that seems a bit high priced given the number of previous owners and the accident in its history.

saabin

I agree, I would negotiate down if you truly are in love with the car.. I havent been following 981 prices since I bought my car.. BUT

Just as a point of reference, I bought my 981 CS 18 months ago and paid almost 2K less than the asking price on this one, and my car had 14K less miles, no accident on carfax, at least several more desirable options. (in case you are thinking re-sale ever)

Of course, options are very subjective, but I would not buy a PDK car without sport chrono. The sport exhaust was also another option I had to have.

I do really like the 2-tone interior on this car, though.. Looks really sharp.

If you really want the car then offer 42 and see what they say.. (all this assumes a good PPI)

Adrian Chis

I would feel very comfortable to buy it at 42k, even 42.5k. Indeed as you mentioned I love the 2 tone orange interior. I am reluctant to make a low offer 42k since the seller told me he already got a 45k offer and turned it down and will take 46k if I'm interested. After the test drive I just realized I would love as much a base cayman if I find one 2016, especially with 2 tone orange interior

Brad Stinson

I believe you can see the coils pretty easily from under the car with a flashlight. If you can ask them to get it on a lift to check out the underside, you'll probably be able to tell if the coils are new just by looking at them.

With that said, it seems overpriced to me. I paid significantly less for a 2016 CS with about same miles and a msrp of $83K. Although mine did have warped door panels (which is very common btw), it also had a Soul valved exhaust which was a bonus for me as I'd have bought it anyway.

KevinJS

I just listed my 2014 Boxster S that is a very well planned driver's spec. 6 speed with all sports packages and a few higher-end updates as well. It is even CPO through 6/21. Ready to make it move!

https://rennlist.com/forums/market/1211071#post16878244

Cayman7

Looks like a nice car, I'm original owner of a 2014 Cayman S in Basalt black and I love it. When purchasing a used car, what I like to do is turn KBB around and price the car as if I were trading it in. This will give you a good sense of what the dealer may have paid for the vehicle. In this case I get an average trade-in in "very good" condition of $41,200. So with the damage history my guess is he paid somewhere around $37K, but that's just a guess. Question- does the dealer have any details on the damage? Would be great to have the repair receipts, but with 6 previous owners I'm sure that's unlikely. As others have said, a PPI is essential. That said, I wouldn't pay more than $43K, give or take a few bucks, for this one. Although you plan to keep it a long time, things can change and the damage report (especially if you can't explain it or verify the extent of the damage) along with then 7 previous owners will hurt the value. Good luck with your decision!

pinmaniac

No harm in offering 42.5 or 43k but with the state of the used car market I don't think you will have luck. If you can wait for things to get back to normal you may be able to get something in that range but right now it is a sellers market. Most of my used and new car dealer friends cannot keep cars on the lot right now. It is also very hard to find quality used cars to sell right now. The expected wholesale (MMR value) on that Cayman S is around $41,300 and one with similar miles just sold last week at wholesale for $42,500. My guess is that he is serious that he turned down $45k.

ICNU

This site will give a good idea what a dealer will pay wholesale or offer for a car as well as a good retail idea. You can see that about the only things on our cars that are worth anything are the navi and the miles. Prices on used P cars are up right now to due to Covid and low inventory

http://www.blackbookportals.com/bb/p...owtradein=True

Cayman7

Good info. As a used car dealer, how would you discount the value given the Carfax damage report?

pinmaniac

Hard to say without seeing the car in person and knowing the extent of the damage and quality of the repair. If it was minor, say one of the bumpers, and the damage was properly repaired it will hardly have any impact on the value. If the airbags went off or the car spent time on a frame machine to repair it then it could have a major impact on the value both on the trade in and sale side.

forestial

Makes sense. From your experience of the business though, is it not the case that a lot of Porsche buyers will avoid anything with the word 'accident' on the Carfax, even if the damage is minor?

deilenberger

I'll just comment I bought my 2011 Cayenne Turbo from this dealer. They are very up front and easy to deal with, and I had no complaints about the Turbo. Before delivering it to me they had the PPF on the hood replaced (it had a scuff in it) and a complete service by a Porsche independent shop that is nearby them. I have nothing but good to report. They do seem quite discerning about what cars they buy and sell, and only put good ones up for sale. When I was looking for a 987 I did check with them, but they normally only stock more recent cars.

Adrian Chis

Thank you all for your thoughts , I am not comfortable making him an offer of 42.5 or 43k yet, since he already told me he turned down 45k and will be willing to sell for 46k. My personal opinion is that the car it would be worth 46k if it was in no accident and maximum 3 owners. In this particular case I think this cayman is worth only 42-43k because of the resale turn off. Who's going to buy a 7 owners cayman with a front damage that nobody knows the extent of it? For now I'll wait and see if I hear from the seller . If I don't that means he is sticking to his 46k price if he contacts me I might have to tell him how feel about the car/price and offer him 43k.

Lvanpelt729

That car is overpriced, I'd pass. You can find one with no accidents, less owners, and less mileage for that price if you're patient.